Junior Galette - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Work Out Junior Galette

October 29th, 2018 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Amid the upheaval in Cleveland today, the Browns are continuing with their scheduled workouts. They hosted free agent pass rusher Junior Galette for a Monday audition, Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan tweets.

Galette’s been a free agent since his Washington contract expired after last season. He turned down a chance to reunite with the Redskins and has expressed regret for doing so. Since, the 30-year-old edge defender has met with the Rams and Colts.

New Browns HC Gregg Williams has a history with Galette. Williams was with the Saints when they added Galette as a UDFA in 2010 and coached him for two seasons before his ignominious New Orleans exit. Galette was a backup with the Saints during Williams’ final two years as their DC but went on to star for future New Orleans defenses.

After missing all of the 2015 and ’16 seasons due to injuries, Galette played in all 16 Redskins games last season. He registered three sacks. Behind starting defensive ends Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah, the Browns have rookie Chad Thomas and veterans Anthony Zettel and Chris Smith.

Junior Galette Turned Down Raiders, Redskins?

October 18th, 2018 at 12:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Junior Galette is still on the free agent market, but he hasn’t gone without opportunities to sign this year. The veteran says that he rejected offers from the Raiders and Redskins in the offseason (Twitter link).

Galette, for his part, seems to regret passing on those chances. The edge rusher pointed out that he was “advised to turn down” the Redskins and Raiders for better deals that never came.

Galette, 30, was an absolute terror during his best seasons with the Saints. Off-field issues and injuries took him out of the game in 2015 and 2016, but he appeared in all 16 games for Washington last year. Galette finished out with three sacks, 20 total tackles, a forced fumble, and and 15 QB hits. With a total of 25 pressures, he graded out as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus. From a football perspective, his ongoing unemployment is perplexing, to say the least.

In addition to speaking with the Raiders and Redskins, Galette also flirted with the Rams and Seahawks in the offseason. This week, he auditioned for the Colts, but it’s not clear whether they currently have interest in signing him.

Colts Work Out Junior Galette, Thomas Rawls

October 15th, 2018 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Junior Galette‘s spent the first six games of the season as a free agent, publicly lamenting his misstep in spurning a Redskins offer earlier this offseason.

The Colts are taking a look at the veteran edge defender, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter), while also examining Thomas Rawls.

Galette previously auditioned for the Rams, but the edge rusher-thin juggernaut opted not to sign him over the summer. He missed all of the 2015 and ’16 seasons because of preseason injuries but returned last year to play in 16 games for Washington. The 30-year-old defender best known for delivering back-to-back 10-plus-sack seasons with the Saints — in 2013-14 — registered three sacks last season.

The Colts have received some unexpected pass-rushing contributions this season. Linebacker Darius Leonard and suddenly rejuvenated defensive end Margus Hunt each have four sacks for Indianapolis, with young journeyman Jihad Ward registering three. Jabaal Sheard also has three sacks for the Colts. However, Indianapolis was without both Hunt and Denico Autry (two sacks) on Sunday.

Rawls played in one game this season, with the Bengals, but has not been able to re-establish his career away from Seattle.

Redskins Rumors: Peterson, Galette, Cap

September 29th, 2018 at 8:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Neither Daniel Snyder nor Redskins president Bruce Allen knew about the team’s decision to bring Adrian Peterson in for a workout. Instead, VP of player personnel Doug Williams and football operations president Eric Shaffer moved forward with the audition that quickly led to Peterson signing and then reclaiming an NFL starting gig.

“(Shaffer) looked and me and said, ‘Well, what do you think, what do we got to lose?’” Williams said during a radio interview with the Team 980’s Doc Walker (via the Washington Post). “I’m a little hesitant to pull the plug, and then before I went out to practice I looked at Eric and said, ‘Hey Eric, what the heck? Let’s do it.’

“The thing about that, I came to practice, I was so hyped about it that I forgot to tell Bruce that we was bringing him in. I’m sitting there that evening and Bruce came in my office and he just stood there looking at me. I’m thinking, ‘What’d I do?’ Well, Dan had called him and let him know he didn’t know. And Bruce let me know that he didn’t know because Dan didn’t know. I said, ‘Well look, that’s on me.’ I took it. Sometimes you have to have big shoulders, you take it and you move on.”

Williams arranged the workout for Monday, at a time when the Redskins were searching for available backs, and Peterson signed for the veteran minimum later that day. Peterson is thriving with Washington, his fourth NFL team; his 236 yards are fourth among players who’ve played just three games. He scored twice and rushed for a season-high 120 yards (6.3 per carry) in the Redskins’ 31-17 Week 3 win over the Packers.

Here’s the latest out of the nation’s capital:

Unless the Redskins see a member of their edge-rushing contingent suffer a setback, don’t look for them to bring back Junior Galette. Redskins brass is comfortable with its quartet of Ryan Kerrigan, Pernell McPhee, Preston Smith and Ryan Anderson, Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington notes. Galette’s expressed regret he turned down a Washington offer, for what the veteran pass rusher says was for two years and $10MM, this offseason. The Redskins informed him during free agency they were moving in a different direction. A Rams visit also did not produce a deal. After two season-nullifying injuries, Galette played in 16 Washington games last season and recorded three sacks. Of the aforementioned incumbents, only Anderson has a sack this season.
Washington would like this season to be a redshirt campaign for third-round pick Geron Christian. Jay Gruden said this week (per Tandler) he would like the rookie offensive linemen to learn this season. Christian has not been active on a game day yet, and the Redskins’ offensive line hasn’t encountered the injury trouble it did in 2017.
Although Washington has not made Caleb Brantley part of any of its 46-man Sunday rosters, the team views the young defensive lineman as a rotational piece down the line, Tandler adds. The Browns waived Brantley after one season. He played in 12 games as a rookie, starting one, and registered two sacks and a fumble recovery. Washington’s receiving strong play from its defensive line thus far, making opportunities for the second-year newcomer scarce.
One of the ways Washington can increase its cap space next year (projected total of $25MM) would be by cutting Josh Norman. While that line of thinking surfaced over the summer, Tandler writes it may behoove the team to keep its top corner in the fold for another season. A Norman release would save Washington $8.5MM but also stick the franchise with $6MM in dead money. Washington ranks second in total defense thus far and moved on from Kendall Fuller and Bashaud Breeland this offseason. Norman’s working with Quinton Dunbar and Fabian Moreau now.

Rams Won’t Sign Junior Galette

August 21st, 2018 at 6:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams will not sign free agent edge rusher Junior Galette, head coach Sean McVay told reporters, including Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic (Twitter link). McVay also clarified that Galette’s recent meeting with Los Angeles did not include a workout, only a physical, tweets Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com.

Los Angeles has spent the offseason adding marquee names to its roster, but it still doesn’t have much of a depth chart at outside linebacker. While the Rams should get plenty of pass rush from the interior of its defensive line, but they’re currently projected to start Matt Longacre and Samson Ebukam on the edge.

Galette, of course, was once a double-digit sack force with the Saints from 2013-14, but injuries and off-field issues have turned him into more a rotational player. After suffering those aforementioned torn Achilles tendons in both 2015 and 2016, Galette finally got in a full season with the Redskins in 2017, and played extremely well on 37% of the club’s defensive snaps. While he only posted three sacks, Galette managed 25 pressures and graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Galette has not ruled out re-signing with Washington (although the Redskins may have ruled him out), while the Raiders and — most recently — the Seahawks have auditioned the veteran pass rusher. Retirement is also reportedly an option for Galette if he doesn’t find a suitable offer.

Seahawks Meet With Junior Galette

August 21st, 2018 at 9:48am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent pass-rusher Junior Galette will visit the Seahawks on Tuesday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Seahawks have been looking for edge help, and Galette might fit the bill.

Galette didn’t light up the stat sheet, but he did play in all 16 games after missing the previous two years with injuries. It’s also worth noting that he graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus, and finished with 25 pressures.

Despite early interest from the Browns, Raiders, and other clubs, Galette’s market has been slow to develop this offseason. Perhaps after Monday’s meeting with the Rams and the latest powwow with the Seahawks, the veteran will finally be able to find a home for the 2018 season.

Before off-the-field issues and injuries sidetracked his career, Galette was one of the league’s most fearsome pass rushers. He was New Orleans’ best pass rusher in two consecutive years, recording 12 sacks in 2013 and picking up another 10 – along with three forced fumbles – in 2014.

If he has some of that fire left in the tank – and last year indicates that he might – then he could be a low-cost impact addition for the Seahawks.

NFC Notes: Lions, Bears, Galette, 49ers

August 19th, 2018 at 9:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Third-year Lions linebacker Steve Longa did, in fact, suffer a torn ACL that will end his season, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports. Longa tore the ligament while chasing down Giants quarterback Kyle Lauletta and is expected to be placed on IR Monday. The Lions weren’t going to use Longa as a starter — Jarrad Davis, Christian Jones and Devon Kennard are entrenched as their first-string ‘backers — but the former UDFA was a key part of Detroit’s special teams corps. This may open up a spot for Miles Killebrew, a former safety who’s been working with the Lions’ linebackers in recent weeks. Killebrew also serves as a regular on special teams.

Here’s the latest out of the NFC, moving to another NFC North team’s injury situation.

The Bears received better news regarding a young player’s injury. Adam Shaheen required a cart to leave the field during Saturday night’s Bears-Broncos game thanks to a first-quarter setback. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets the second-year tight end is not believed to have suffered a serious injury. The 2017 second-rounder is dealing with a low ankle sprain, per Rapoport. Although more tests will be in store for the small-school product, Shaheen has a chance to play in Week 1.
Sean McVay said (via Lindsay Thiry of ESPN.com, on Twitter) Junior Galette‘s Rams visit will take place Monday. Galette is now 30 and a few years removed from his peak — back-to-back 10-plus-sack years with the Saints in 2013-14 — but he did play in all 16 Redskins games last season after missing the previous two years with injuries. The Rams’ efforts to restock their cornerback contingent and add Ndamukong Suh induced some cutbacks, and the Super Bowl contender’s edge defender situation is perhaps a vulnerable spot midway through the preseason.
Another NFC West team has questions on the edge, and Kyle Shanahan (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, on Twitter) still has Elvis Dumervil in mind as a contingency plan in case the second-year HC deems the 49ers as being too light on defensive ends. Shanahan said earlier this offseason the 12-year veteran probably wouldn’t need much preseason work to be effective, so San Francisco still remains a possibility for the now-34-year-old edge player. Dumervil, who began his career under Mike Shanahan and alongside John Lynch in Denver, led the 49ers with 6.5 sacks last season. No other 49er registered more than three.
More running back injury trouble’s come the 49ers’ way. With Jerick McKinnon and No. 2 back Matt Breida out until Week 1, 2017 fourth-rounder Joe Williams fractured a rib and suffered a “very bad” bone bruise, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Shanahan said Williams will miss Week 1. Shanahan urged Lynch to trade up to select Williams, but this setback figures to pose a problem for his chances of making an impact this season. The 49ers, who also lost offensive lineman Erik Magnuson to a hamstring strain that will shelve him until possibly October, are going to make IR decisions regarding this duo this week (Twitter links, via Maiocco and the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman). A 2017 UDFA out of Michigan, Magnuson played in four games as a rookie and started two. If the 49ers place either on IR before roster-cutdown day, they cannot use one of their IR-return spots on them.
Second-year UDFA Rickey Jefferson will not play for the Saints this season. The defensive back tore one of his ACLs in New Orleans’ second preseason game, Nick Underhill of The Advocate reports. The LSU alum did not play last season and latched on with the Saints in January via reserve/futures contract.

LB Junior Galette To Visit Rams

August 18th, 2018 at 1:52pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Junior Galette has another suitor. The free agent linebacker is set to visit with the Rams tomorrow, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

There’s been plenty of interest in the 30-year-old’s services, but he still hasn’t been able to catch on with a team. The Rams and Browns reportedly had interest in the veteran earlier this offseason, and the Raiders were considering a pursuit. We most recently heard that Galette could still return to the Redskins, where he had spent the past three seasons. There were even rumblings that the linebacker could consider retirement, but it sounds like it hasn’t gotten to that point.

Galette broke onto the scene in 2013 and 2014, compiling 22 sacks between the two seasons. A pair of torn Achilles injuries forced him to sit out the 2015 and 2016 season, and he looked a step slower in his return to football last year. He ultimately finished the 2017 season with 20 tackles, three sacks, two passes defended, and one forced fumble in 16 games off the bench. Galette also finished with 25 pressures, and he was graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Behind the projected starters, the Rams linebacker depth chart is composed primarily of recent draft picks, including Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Ejuan Price, Trevon Young, Micah Kiser, and Bryce Hager (as well as free agent addition Ramik Wilson). The team could benefit from adding a veteran to that mix .

Junior Galette Could Still Re-Sign With Redskins?

July 11th, 2018 at 7:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Redskins in May informed Junior Galette that he would not be re-signed, the veteran edge rusher indicated Wednesday that his run in the nation’s capital may not yet have reached its end. “Lol still a chance,” Galette replied on Twitter when asked if a new contact with Washington remained a possibility.

Whether or not Galette’s tweet is any indication of serious interest on the Redskins’ part is unclear, especially given that team executive Doug Williams said in March that the club was “moving in another direction.” Washington is well-stocked along the edge, as starters Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith are backed up by 2017 second-rounder Ryan Anderson and free agent acquisition Pernell McPhee.

If he were re-signed by the Redskins, Galette probably wouldn’t have much of a role. Other clubs that have expressed interest in Galette, however, do have a clear need at defensive end/outside linebacker: a club like the Rams, who were linked to Galette in March, still has a gaping hole at edge defender, while the Browns could use another end to play opposite Myles Garrett. Galette, who has also drawn interest from the Raiders, has reportedly also considered retirement.

Galette, of course, was once a double-digit sack force with the Saints from 2013-14, but injuries and off-field issues have turned him into more a rotational player. After suffering those aforementioned torn Achilles tendons in both 2015 and 2016, Galette finally got in a full season with the Redskins in 2017, and played extremely well on 37% of the club’s defensive snaps. While he only posted three sacks, Galette managed 25 pressures and graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Junior Galette Mulling Offers, Retirement

May 20th, 2018 at 5:27pm CST by Micah Powell

Former Redskins defensive end Junior Galette has three offers on the table but is also considering retirement, the veteran pass rusher wrote in a post on Instagram on Sunday.

Galette, 30, reportedly had interest from the Rams and Browns earlier this offseason, and in April the Raiders were kicking the tires on the former Saints linebacker who posted double-digit sacks in back-to-back season in 2013 and 2014. Initially, Washington had interest in bringing Galette back, but team senior vice president for personnel Doug Williams shot that down in March.

After those two breakout campaigns in New Orleans, Galette was ravaged by a pair of Achilles injuries that cost him each of the next two seasons. He returned in 2017 with the Redskins and was productive, posting three sacks and managing 25 pressures to grade out as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Galette has also been troubled by off-the-field issues in recent years. He was arrested in January 2014 on a domestic violence charge that was later dropped. A video then surfaced from 2013 showing a man that appeared to be Galette striking a woman with a belt while involved in a beach brawl. A month later, Galette was released from the Saints, who absorbed significant cap penalties. In 2017, he was also arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and failure to comply with police officers.